Category Archives: Environmental

Man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have increased significantly since the Industrial Revolution. If this trend continues, global temperatures are expected to rise between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius by 2100. This change in temperature could unhinge the global climate and cost nearly $2 trillion annually in abatement efforts. In order to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change, we must slow down the release of GHG emissions and move towards a low-carbon economy.

While world governments have committed to this effort through the United Nations’ COP 21 Paris Climate Agreement, it is only part of the solution. It’s clear that the private sector will need to play a role in overcoming climate change challenges. As a thought leader in this area, JLL works with corporates to assist them in defining and reaching carbon-reduction and other Environmental, Social and Governance targets.

Carbon disclosure

The private sector has experienced increasing pressure to act on climate change. Corporate reporting and disclosures of GHG emissions have made great strides. In addition, companies are setting emissions reduction targets in an effort to mitigate climate change. However, companies often set targets arbitrarily without considering what is realistic and achievable. If we hope to hit global reduction targets, … Read More

The US Department of Energy (DOE) hosted its annual Solid-State Lighting (SSL, or better known as LED) Technology Development Workshop in Denver, CO on November 16th and 17th. The event was attended by 180 industry members from various backgrounds including, manufacturers, utilities, designers, municipalities and academia, all working to drive mass adoption of LEDs throughout the US.

A groundbreaking approach known as Total Impact (TI) is helping companies to realize the impact they have not only on workplace and employees, but also on society, the environment and the economy. The methodology builds off existing financial reporting as well as corporate sustainability and integrated reporting.

JLL is currently piloting a TI assessment in the UK. While JLL is still in the process of calculating impacts, Sophie Walker, UK Head of… Read More

The cardinal rule of electricity is that supply must equal demand at all times. When you flip a light switch, you expect the lights to go on. This rule has challenged utilities, regional transmission organizations, independent system operators and commercial, industrial and residential consumers since the time of Edison. Generally fossil-fired and nuclear generation must run continuously while renewable energy is subject to the intermittency inherent in solar and wind resources. … Read More

Waste will now be addressed more comprehensively in LEED certification systems, a significant step for zero waste initiatives. With this announcement by the Green Business Certification, Inc. it is clear that waste reduction is now being looked at far more strategically than in the past.

Positive environmental outcomes and the potential for large cost savings has Fortune 100 board rooms buzzing about the benefits of a zero waste strategy. However, talking about… Read More